And thinks, admitted to that equal sky, His faithful dog should bear him company."

"Not onreasonable ayther in a haythen as knowed no better," remarked James.

"I believe," struck in the yeoman, "that James is almost a haythen about dogs; and I often thinks he fancies that he and the squire and the hounds will turn up together somewheres."

Even the mild dame joined in the attack.

"Yes, James, I'm sure the way you took on about the hounds was almost sinful. You cudn't have grieved more if they'd been children or friends."

"Well, marm, and wo'sent they friends? I'd a-reared 'em all from puppies, leastwise knowed their gets, and had tended 'em, and broke 'em, and nussed 'em, and gied 'em their mait, and hunted with 'em, and had long discoose with 'em, for days and years some ov 'em, and knowed all their ways and their wants, so 'twas nat'ral I shud feel wisht at parting from 'em."

"That's James's romance-his journey to Lunnun with the hounds. I've towld the passon mine, dame," said old Guy, turning towards his

spouse.

The dame nodded significantly, as if she felt well assured of that.

"I doen't knaw that there was much romance in it," returned James; "but 'twos the dismallest time I ever knawed-'twos an uncommon wisht time."

The curate, however, expressed a wish to hear the story.

"Well, then, you must knaw, sir, “་ that some time back the squire was obligated to put down the hounds, as he was agoing to furrin pairts. So he selled 'em to a gent up the country, and I was to take 'em up to un. 'Twos all very aisy so long as we gaed along the road, for the dowgs was used to that, but when

they com aboard the steamer at Plymouth they growed mortal onaisy and mistrustful, and wud com about me a-rubbing agin my legs, and looking up in my face with a sort of whine, as much as to say, What doth all this main? and when I sot down they wud com and talk to me, one arter the ither as thof they thoft we was going to part. Little Fortune cum fust-you knawed her, maister-she wos the purtiest and the fleetest bitch in all the pack-and she puts her paw up and looks in my face with her purty way and gave a soft whine like, I knawed wot she was a-sayingshe wos saying, 'Now, James, what be a-going to do with that last pup of mine? he was a booty, you knaw, and I hopes you'll remember un.' 'All right, old gurl,' says I; 'I'll tend un as if he was a cheeld, and bring un up as a hound of his get hoft to be.' Then anither com up and tells his story, and then anither. When it com on dark I lied doun a bit with the dowgs around me, and cruel dismal 'twos. All at once I feels a nose shuved under my arm, and when I looked doun I seed 'twas old Royal. Now Royal, you know, maister, was a very proud high-minded hound, and thof he was very dootiful in the kennel, he was never so social-like as the rest, but wud kep off, as much as to say, You'm only huntsman, James, but I'm a high-breed hound; thof if the squire com in and sot doun, as he did sometimes, he wud stand Iwith his haid on his knee for a hour maybe. You knaw, maister, Ithinks there's a sort of freemasonry among they high-breeds-dowgs or 'umans."

"I thinks so too, James, though 'tis agin my politics."

"Well, I wos astonished when I seed old Royal, and more so when he begins a-muzzling me, and crying o'er me, as much as to say, 'We han't ben so thick like as the rest,. but we'm good friends, and I'm sorry to part, old fellow.' When the other dowgs heerd un yowling,. they sot up tuning their pipes too,

and there wos a pretty how-d'ye-do. The captin he com then and tells me to stop that darned noise, so I wos obliged to quiet 'em; but 'twos a mortal drear night that, my heart almost broke. Well, at last we lands and gets to the place where we wos going; a nashun fine place 'twos, but they never axed me to sot and rest, or hae a sup of ale or a bite ov bread and cheese, and just sends me on to the kennel. Lor'-amassy, what a place that wos-'twos more like a palace than a kennel. There was coorts for exercise, and feeding coorts, and biling kitchens; and the floor of the dowgs' place was all a-done hard like with lime or somewhat; and the binches for the beds wos all so roomy and fine -I was a'most 'mazed at it all; but I didn't see no foxes' haids nowheres. Then there cum up a man to me; he wos so nashun smurt I thoft he wos the maister, and wos a-going to touch my cap to un, but I stops jest in time. He had a fine buff waistcoat, with sheeny buttons on, and whitey corduroys, all cotched in at the ankle with little buttons; and the buttons of his coat wos all over foxes and dowgs and osses. He had, too, a great blue neck-kercher round his neck, with a gowld fox's haid stuck in un; and his hat was thrawed on one side, sassy and janty like. He seemed to look down on me, thof I had my bestes clothes on. 'Ah,' says he, 'my man, you brought the hounds for us from the West.' 'Iss, sir,' says I, 'and good dowgs they be on the whole, and I hopes you'll find ’em so. Ah,' says he, they looks goodish dowgs, though rayther in the rough.' 'Iss, sir,' says I,' we'm all rayther in the rough, down along.' 'Oh, I daresay but they'll do very well with a little weeding, and a little of our fining and discipline; and I don't doubt we shall have as good a season as we had last year.' May I ax, making so bowld,' says I, how many foxes you killed last year?' 'Oh,' says he, 'getting a bit red, 'we doan't care so much about the number, but we likes to

kill 'em secundem hartem.' 'Oh, then,' says I, 'I'm afeard you'll have to onlearn our dowgs a brave lot, for our squire have toft 'em to kill their fox.' With that I says 'Good-morning, sir,' and then gits to the door as fast as possible, but I soon heers a yowl, and then a whip a-going, so I puts my fingers in my ears and rins, and never stops till I gits to the town. Sure 'twos a wisht time-a cruel wisht time."

James, on the strength of this story, obtained great credit for repartee in his own little world, and was looked up to as one who had thrawed the up-country chap a fale. "Here, James, wash down the story," said the yeoman, handing over the tankard.

"Well then," said he, as he raised it to his lips, "here's a health-I can't help it, maister, if you be angered, I must do it- here's a health to Mr Tom, who's away."

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"James," said the yeoman, with rather got-up indignation, you knows I never allows nobody to name that pordigal but myself.'

More shame to you," retorted the dame, quietly, "on such a night as this too. It's to be open doors and closed hearts, full board and scant love, then, with us. Our own are to be the only ones shut out. That's rayther mockery, ben't it."

The curate too muttered something about there being nothing but peace and goodwill and Christian love at such a holy time.

Old Guy glared from one to another, as though he intended to stand at bay, but he thought better of it, and taking the tankard in his hand, said, "You'm right, dame, so here's a health to un, and God bless un." The last words were intended to be drowned in the cup, but were given with too much emphasis to be lost. A great clatter of tongues and laughing was now heard. 'Ah, there's they be," said old Guy, "they'm about half a mile off now."

The yeoman was either much out in his calculation, or they had accomplished the distance in marvellously short time, for they were

soon heard rustling in the entrance hall. The party consisted of the yeoman's brother and his daughters, Lily bringing up the rear.

The brother was the very opposite of Guy; he was a little, old, leathery man-in fact, very like a bundle of crankly leather tied together; one of those contrarieties often seen in families. It had been

remarked once that he would never fill his brother's boots, when a wag added, that if he was pounded and rolled out, he wouldn't furnish material enough to make boot-trees for them. The daughters, however, asserted the family type very strongly. They were what would be called fine women, though perhaps rather strong in tone and colour; and in the breadth of shoulder and development of bone, did not exhibit much of the line of beauty. They came in, however, bringing a fine healthy breath of life with them-bracing as the air outside, without its coldness.

"There she is, that's Lily," said the yeoman, nudging the curate; "she always wears that red cloak and hood to please me." Any one who observed how well the loose hood with its white lining suited the fair round face beneath, would not have given Miss Lily credit for much self-sacrifice. Like the ballad Lilian, she looked

"So innocent arch, so cunning simple,
From beneath her gathered wimple,
Glancing with her deep blue eyes,
Till the lightning laughters dimple
The baby roses in her cheek."

We have taken a liberty with the poet in respect of the eyes. Our Lilian's were blue, deep blue, but the lightning laughters played in them, and over the whole face, or rather a lightning joyousness, a joyousness born of sunshine, and caught from breeze and bird. There were baby roses too, very baby roses, for it was the softest blush of bloom which tinged the fairness of her face. 'Twas vain to say what that face was like, for the joyousness lay on it in a dazzle, like the mirage of a summer day. You saw

there was a dimpled chin, that the eyes were blue, and that the light flaxen hair lay dishevelled in loops and bands on her forehead, or hung in loose tresses and waving pendants over her neck; but to classify the face, to say it was classic, or Saxon, or Celtic, was impossible. You might as well try to analyse a sunbeam.

Slender she was, though taller and not so tiny as the mother, yet beside the nieces she looked almost fairy-like, and, compared with their pronounced movements, hers was a floating motion. The country life had not detracted from her native grace and delicacy, but only moulded them into firmness and elasticity.

"Look, he has put himself directly under the mistletoe," she cried out with a laugh, as soon as she was clear of the phalanx of the stalwart nieces, "a regular challenge ;" and with this she bounded on her guardian, throwing one arm round his neck, and stroking his head with the other, whilst her kisses fell softly on cheek and forehead. The old man smiled blandly, as though, like Tennyson's oak, he felt his sap stirred, spite of hard wood and wrinkled rind. Things, however, took a more serious aspect when the nieces all rushed on, shouting out, "Now it's our turn." Very different, indeed, was their vigorous handling and hearty smacks, to the gentle manipulation and caresses he had just undergone. In vain he tried to extricate himself from the toils. At length he effected a diversion by saying, "There's the passon-take the passon-'tis his turn."

And the parson had his turn, we blush to say; but whether the nieces took the parson or the parson took the nieces, would be a question as idle as that of old, whether the codfish took the hook or the hook took the codfish. Anyways, there was kissing under the mistletoe.

By this time a great number of guests had arrived-farmers and their wives, parochial magnates, the

farm-labourers, and many a highway and by-way chance-comer besides.

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"Now then, dame," said Penrice, let's have the hearth-cup, and then we'll clear the floor for dancing or games, jest as the young ones like. By the by, I promised Master Jones to show Lily's cup to un; he thinks 'tis of more valy than we knows, and you can drink your sweet stuff out ov it. I'll go and fetch un."

Meantime the brother handed round the snuff-box, which resembled a small dressing-case, as a sort of interlude. An Eastern monarch is said to send a subject whom he wishes to ruin an elephant as a present. This box was almost as mischievous an inheritance, for it had induced the possessor to feed his own nose and the noses of his friends at a most costly expenditure. The dame and Lily had taken advantage of the interval to have a little conversation sotto voce with Jim. That worthy, however, only shook his head mournfully, saying, No marm, no letters, nor no news of any sort or kind.”

James was rather a strange gobetween, but he had been selected as a medium of communication between Tom and his mother from his known honesty and devotion to the former. The dame had hoped that a letter might have brightened even the Christmas festival, and the the disappointment seemed to sink deeper into her quiet nature than would have been imagined. It shaded even the joyousness of Lily's face.

Presently old Guy returned, bearing in his hand a sandal-wood box,

inlaid with silver, which emitted a delicious fragrance when opened, and the cup was taken from its sanctuary. The cup was of ivory, carved delicately at the foot, and there was a ring of bright and manycoloured stones around the rim. All were surprised at its beauty, and at the brilliancy of the gems, real or not. The yeoman even was astonished, as he had scarcely ever seen it since it was first given into his custody, and had never taken any particular note of it. "We'll hansel un first, dame, with thy sweet trade, and then the passon can examine un, and let's us have George's horn too."

So Lily's cup, filled with spiced elder wine, surrounded by a little company of glasses of metheglin, went round among the fair drinkers; the buffalo horn, with the tankard as a reservoir, was reserved for the family and neighbours. Cups and jugs of beer and cider were liberally distributed among the company generally. The orchestra had arrived, consisting of two fiddles and flute, led by old Steve Rowell, whose reputation as a musician was so great, that 'twas thought he would have made his fortune in London, only that he never could get beyond a public four miles distant, whenever he made an attempt to reach that place.

The musicians were now called upon to give an accompaniment to the chorus, with which the toast of the hearth-cup was always introduced.

"Now, Bob, pitch the time," said Guy to his brother.

The lead being given, all hands joined in giving

The toast, of course, was drunk right merrily.

"Now then," said Guy, "let

Mister Jones gie his judgment of the cup."

The curate looked at it long and carefully, and then said, "It is my opinion, if these stones are real gems, that the cup is of great value."

"Great valy! what do you mean by great valy?" inquired Guy.

"Well, I should think as valuable as the broad lands we saw tonight."

"Of as great valy as Tregarrow, with its tenements, and messuages, and heriditaments, its pasturages, uplands, and plantashuns ? "Tis impossible, 'tis impossible."

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Well, perhaps, that would be a little exaggeration, but 'twould be worth a good sum of money."

"Then the gurl's a hairess! my legacy a hairess! and I'm sponsible as her guardian; we must put this away safe if that be the

case.

"Yes, mind you do, for I shall be a most ruthless creditor, and shall demand my pound of flesh, guardy," said Lily, playfully.

As the yeoman turned to go away, he met a most sinister-looking face, which had been peering over his shoulder when the cup was shown. "Halloa, Mister Rich Jope, what has brought you here?"

'Twas an evil-looking fellow he addressed; he had an evil squint, nor was the obliquity confined to the vision, for he squinted all over; there was an obliquity in figure, manner, and gait.

"Why, I thoft bygones was bygones," replied this worthy, "and that everybody was welcome here to-night."

"Well, I never turn nobody from my doors in Christmas times, but the farther off we be, the better friends."

With this Jope slunk off. "James," said Guy, beckoning the huntsman to him, "see that

old Steve and his gang get plenty to keep 'em going."

"I should think," remarked the wag brother, "that being a Rowel, he wouldn't require a spur in the head."

"And, James," continued Guy, "keep your eye on that Rich Jope; he's up to no good."

James thus found himself established as general family factotum and confidant.

"Now, then," shouted the yeoman, as he returned from depositing his trust in safety, "let us have a dance; tune up your pipes, my boys. Now Lily, then, first dance with you. Robert will take the dame-the girls will passel out the passon among 'em."

The music struck up, and away they went up the middle and down again, change sides, crissycrossy-heads bobbing and feet stamping. Sometimes the yeoman's face would be seen gleaming among the rest like a full moon-sometimes a glimpse of the yellow tops would be seen in the interstices of legs-now there would be a tangle and a puzzle, which the nieces set right in a strong-handed way, and then off they'd go again. If it had not been for the propriety and pleasantness of the thing, there might as well have been no music

the dancers mostly ignored it altogether; their steps, too, were most (original. If there was little grace, there was much fun. It was very muscular mirth, which delighted to find vent in strong exercise; it was a loud-voiced, noisy, hob-nailed mirth, which delighted in shouts and laughter, and snapping of fingers, and stamping with the heel.

But who shall say what is the true expression of mirth? At any rate, if there be any faith in outward signs, there were merry hearts and happy ones in that revel by the hearthstone of Tregarrow.